One-pipe sprinkler system



O. J. HOLMES ONE PIPE SPRINKLER SYSTEM May 18 Q1926 1,585,147

Filed August 9, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l l/WEIV 10/? war J flower May 18 1926.

0. J. HOLMES ONE PIPE SPRINKLER SYSTEM Filed August 9. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i as INVENTOR 0/ca/J/70/me/ ATTORNEYS Patented R ley l8, l9

LSSSJ? sense a; Kerri iits, 01 TULSA, imme-as.

elm-1am SPREN'ZLER system.-

A-pplicaticn filed August 9, 1920'. Serial No;

This invention relates to sprinltler syyterns of the character adapted to he installed in buildings Where it is desired to have sprinkler protection against the throughout the building, and is more particularly directed to a novel and eflicient sprinkler for delivering foam in the immediate vicinity of aiire in an entirely automatic manner and through the employment ct simple and ellicient mechanism All otthe prior systei'ns which are adepted to deliver foam in the vicinity ot a fire,

so far as I am aWa-re,einhody a two pipe system, one of which pipes conveys an acid to the vicinity 01 the lire, and the other ot which pipes conveys a foam foriniiig solu tion to the sa ine vicinity, and in the event of a tire, both pipes aresimultaneously unsealed in the vicinity or" the lire and the aci i and foam forming solution mixed subst 'nt'ially at the pointer: delivery. Vihile these systems operate with more or less et iciency, they have the inherent disadvaiit 3e or equiring tWo separate and distinct pipin systems, one for the acid and the other for he too-in forming solution, which are hot only an encumbrance to the build ,7, but

J are expensive to install because of the necessity of duplicating the pip 1g th-roiigg hout the building;

lVith .hese coiis'idcrations iii mine, the prime object of the pr seiit invention is to provide a sprinkler systein for the deliverof foam to th' locality oi the fire, through a single pi e I tirely dis Jens i with substantially one half the iping; heici fore neeeii-saiy for the Carr'yi ng oi'it' ot this function. v v

A further and iihpoftant object cl" the invention is to proyide in a team deli-very system, an independent n'orht. lly inert pres sure c'h :e e autoniat'imlly it der'cd operga tivc by the opening of a ez-r'in'lilei" hea-tl and adapted, when brought ii operation, to develop suliicient pfessi'i'i e tor the purpose ol causing acid and alkaline solutions to he brought together and maintained under $1) a i n and pressure thereby prevent the forming of foam or luhole s they pass through the system to the go t 01* discharge, said acid and alkali seing preterably combined after leaving their respective containers and before arriving v at the sprinkler head through Which they find out-- let n the to m of team or bubbles.

Another feature of the invention is e nhodied in ineans whereby the delivery 'otthe extinguishing medium may be controlled from any lioor'of the buildieg in which the installation is made, preferably through the releasing of the pressureat any time, tor the purpose of stopping the delivery of the extinguishing nediuin. Heretoi ore, it has usually been necessar to go to a coininon point in the system,- adjacent the pressiire tank, usually inthe basement, in order to shut oil any particular part of the systein.

Amarked practical advantage inherent in a further feature of the invention is tome in the improved sprinkler head, Which I preferably einploy in conjunction with this system. in sprinkler heads asusually' constructed, the extinguishing medium finds ef-zit through an outlet, from which it is throivii against a battle plate, which throws the spray in all directions. When such aii ap parztus is employed to deliver foain, the

I spray is so broken up thateiiicient torina-' tier; of foam isprecluded, siiice the solu ion which would form the bubbles are hrolie i up into such small particles as to "i iously impair their eli'iciency iii blank 'ihe fire.-

In accordance with the present invention, I provide a chamber into which the lire extinguishi niediuin, upon leaving a ticulaii outlet of the system, is delivered in Which such material is held bacl: "L a sutlicient amount of said material has accumulated to substaiitially till the chaniber to allow of the entrapplng ot the gee-to a which are provided tit) claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one practical embodiment of the present invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic showing of a system embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the system shown in section; and,

Figure 3 is a. central section of an improved foam forming sprinkler head preferably employed in conjunction with the system as shown.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a tank or other form of receptacle adapted to contain an alkaline foam forming material, 2 is a s cond tank or receptacle for containing an acid which, when mixed with the material in the tank 1 will result in the formation of foam, and 3 is a tank or casing containing the means for placing the contents of the tanks 1 and 2 under pressure for the purpose of causing the flow of material contained in said latter tanks to points of mixing and discharging. The tanks 1, 2 and 3 may be mounted in any suitable position within a building and may be supported in any desired way, or such tanks may be formed within a main tank by partitioning off different portions thereof. The invention is not limited to these details of construction.

As shown, the tank 3 is connected to the tank 1 through suitable piping 4 or a duct above the normal material level in the tank 1, while the tank 1 is, in turn, connected to the tank 2, through any suitable form of connection, piping or a duct 5, so that if pressure is generated in the tank 3, it will be communicated equally to the tanks 1 and 2 through the connections 4 and 5 specified, and such pressure will, manifestly, be supplied to the material within said tanks 1 and 2 above the surface of the material therein.

The material in the tank 1 is adapted to find exit therefrom through a pipe 6, which extends through the top of the tank from a point near the base thereof, while the mate rial from the tank 2 is adapted to be eX- hausted 'herefrom through a pipe 7, which extends from a point near the base of the tank 2 through the top of said tank. The upper ends of the pipes 6 and 7 come together in a service "if or coupling 8, which has a single outlet pipe 9. The materials from which the pipes 6 and 7 are constructed are such as not to be acted upon by the materials contained in the respective tanks. The pipe 9 leads to a pipe 10 to which it is connected by a coupling 11 and said pipe 10 forms the stand pipe of the sprinkler system. This pipe passes through the several floors of the building, one of which is desighated 12 in Figure 1, and at each floor is provided with laterals 13 having therein sprinkler heads l l arranged at suitable intervals along said laterals.

A check valve 15 is included in the pipe 9 near the connection 8 and serves to preclude the retrograde flow of material from the pipe 10 through the pipe 9.

Positioned i-thin the lower portion of the casing or tank 8 is a stoneware jar or receptacle 16, adapted to contain a suitable acid. This jar, as shown, extends for substantially one half of the height of the tank 8, and the upper half of said tank is provided for the reception of a wire basket 1. which is suspended by means of a red 18 passing through f the tank. The red 18, as stated, the top of the tank and is illclllllx'itl in elevated position by means a detent or latch 19 controlled by a diaphragm regulator 20, mounted on top of the tank 3, as best shown in Figure 2.

The diaphragm regulator 20 embodies a diaphragm 21, e: 3 ll g across the casing of pass the regulator and dividing the interior of the casing into an upper and lower chaml er and 23, respectively. The upper chamber 22 is in eon'nnimication with the lower end of the stand pipe 10, while positioned with in t lower chamber 23 is a head of a plun u' 25 which depends from the nead Li and is pivotally connected at 26 to one of the detents 19. The deten't is pivoted interm diate its ends as at 27, and its free end normally en 'ages with a shoulder or notch in the rod 18.

Tn the normal condition of the structure of this invention, sullicient pressure is normally exerted through the pipe 10 on to the upper surface of the diaphragm 21 to maintain the plunger 'n depressed position to elevate the free end of the detent 19 and el feet the holding of the rod 18 in elevated position with the result that the wire basket 17 which adapted to contain a suitable alkali is sus nded above the surface of the acid e nt' ned in the earthen vessel l, -t of fire, however, the pressure in the pipe 10, normally sustained through the scaling of the respective sprinkler heads 1 1, is broken, through the opcnin of one of the sprinkler heads, it will he s cient to flex the diaphrw 21 downwardly as shown in Figure 2, u 1 the result that the weight of the wire basket 17 and its contents, will effect a. tiltin of the detent 19 to release the free end of the detent from the shoulder 28 and allow the wire basket 1'? to descend into the acid 'esscl 16.

in order that such descent of the wire basket may be unrestricted leased the C c it, the re provided with clutch con in Figi-ire 2. his clutch connection 2 in the form ill) eholl'ii', alitlthete' teeth r hifllliilly maintained in interlo king i'ela when the rod 18 isele'i atetl by occupying it position Within a sleeve Oi colhii :t'ol'lning' pai't a stamp ing' 31, riveted iilteii'oi'ly the ta'ul; us at 32. (then thel'ed is l'e'lea tcl, its tltsee'ht; will move the clutch to ll pOih-thelGW tile sleeve 30 Mid permit (at the s'tjjigtetioil 0%? the t eth so that the basket 1'? will released z'tl'itl will drop iil to' the? acid \l-ithin' the es: 16.

'l-he upper pol tlou the fed zzhly previtltl With two- When the red is relea engages with the mp1 thr ugh W'h setl, the ext in}; into the tank, but s 11 subsequently developed in the till sult of the theli'licul aetion e't the 11cm the a llmlilie material in the 1?; this pressure will lift the stub end of the shalt l8, wheieupo'n the 5 ""hi iih may he provided with a asket, will stt l tl against leakage 01 p1" til-e at this 1 In practice,- the system of tlw p vention may he "ithei a dry 61" Wet pipe s j sten'i; That is to say the pi e 1G z'n'icl the 1 t erals 13 may be ROl-lllitllY filled either with a liquid or by eempressed i i-i1:

In the event liquid isemployed, the sui'e 0n the (liziphiugm will he I; f static pressure, Whereas i] the CV it till is employed, the pressure (in said dimijhiiig n will, 1l-1alliieStly,- he ail pressure. hit

7 her all" 01' \a'atei' may he. iilltlally ilitietlueed into the syst' throlilgh a fillingpipe pm \lilefil with a \a'lve 3'? by means which the n hm he ale'cl lifter 21 ill-Ml -11 1 p05 1011'. In practice, however 6X61 ted 011 the diaphragm 21 1s hat it Wlll more than 0vern the ire be :et and lll. le al-age throt h s0 "tllt c will not ell'e'ct all iilmlve'ltel t i? the fiij stehl into op'el'a'tien, Sill-(l sure is preferably el'lipleyecl ED 15613 slo'w 1:2 ks, so that the system will co ie inoper'stivc: iii t e eveu (if fire, the Opening o'l' one inure 0t e1 h ls nle'nt e of the W upon the l 1} ma plished hy pte'vi t g a tfdlilit 38 \Vhlc'h Iiiay L i9 and l'l'lzly he slid to L litllll plfO'pOl regulation of the pm. 1' h will he iiecessaiy to release-the Stem l8 and put the system into- 0 ion.

e111 hl'ouszht into operation by destribetl; So that it will lull into thermal vessel 16. This basket ma he guided through its descent by guides 39, as sho n in Figure 1, 'se thzit when the haske't falls into the acid; it will in upright piisitien, The specific gravity oi the eollten'ts of the basketis, in practice; CQ1SlC Gltblj less than the specific gravity 01 the l, that when the bu t is dropped, it will not immediately sink t0 the hz'i'se oithe acid Vessel 165 but at first will substantially tiiiat (ill the surface" thet'eO'iuntil the centl e't-ilig' the all line ll'mtefiul inte the let, aleta the slime and e'fieet-s a, gradual 5 ill of the hztzhet; in this way, the pi'e'sstii'e is dually built and thereafte muinizln'e'tl suhstai'l'tizllly unitorm until the entire contents ofthe' basket acted 113 011 by the acid.

The prt'ssure generated Within the casing through the l'erte'tivl the aecl Oil the alkaline mateii" Ll is" nsi'nittetl thwugh the coniiectieus 4tu-hcl a LG the tanks 1 izrltl 2 ziheve the surfate 01 th {1H2 er-1a tller'eln; zuitl shite t e' ieinlatien 0t sti'eh pf'es'stlte has been the result e'f the opening she or m 2e '01 the Sp? lhlei heiitls; an uneven condition of pressures ill between the pressure interior of tank and the "pressu'l'ee in the pipes 6' and 7 which lave been threugh the Ophlilg of the sprinkler entet head. fl-S a result ofthese uneven pressure the set-vice p'ztss thtough the pipe 9,-

through the cheek valve 15 into' the stand p 'e l0, and tllfiC'B hate througl sucll lat 1 httlll epiii'ihler hezlcl-s t e tin-ally 1, tl'isehmfgetl tli 'ougll the open heads;

This tliseherg-i 11;; will continue until either" all of the material in the tanks 1 and exhausted; 01 untiltlie pl is it e Withil'l the 'tz'in'k 3. In practice,- il'i convenient to provide rile-11s, whereby tan'hs' 1 and 2 nl' ty he vented zit any time desired to cause the cessation of flovi' 01? A3111- tei'ial therefrom should the the he quickly extinguished ind to thereby plo'vide against unnecessary dmuege to pi-ope'i't s llayin'g of the saline;

This my be a? syste li'ljhy piOvitl-i g pipe from the in'teriol" (it the c sing of the tank 3 through the Various tie of he building 01? to venous :ip'pmpl we ldcmlous from 1 and 2, so tl at the spraying will cease, and the opening of the casting so, through any ren'iaining solution in tanks 1 and 2 will which it passes. In this n'ianuer, it is trebe saved. quently wedged or gripped in position and Retrograde flow of the materials already will not fall again by Q'Z'zllllIj f, but will 5 in the pipe 10 into the tanks 1 and 2 is we leave the outletduct 51 of the lateral 13 open in eluded by the check "alve 15, the sealing to permit 0: the exit of the mixture of team member 15 or which will immediately asforming material and acid. sume a closed position, The sprinkler casting is mounted on an lVhile the present invention is not neces inverted cup-shaped dome 52, which is, in 0 sarily limited to any particular style of turn, supported by posts or spacers 5-) from T5 sprinkler heads which may be employed, an oppositely shaped base or cup portion I prefer to use that form shown in Figure 54. lhe base portion is mounted on ti o 3 of the drawings, as I have found the conconnection and forms with the dome struction therein shown to operate with far a chamber into which the national upon reater etliciency than any of the sprinkler leaving the duct dis harged. The inaheads now in use. As hereinbetoro stated terial discharged within the chamber su the use oil? an ordinary Sprinkler head in a stantially ti e smile before it linds exit team systen'i, is detrimental to the best retherefrom in any appreciab e quantitiis sults as the foam is broken up so line and the However, after the chamber is filled, a congas allowed to escape, that it ceases to opertinned peerage of the material ate with marzimnn elliciency. chamber forces the residual material In Figure 3, I have shown a structure, from in the form of relatively lar 'e through the use of which, the gas is thoralter the manner shown in Figure oughly entrained and comes from the head dome may be provided with outlet in the :l'orm of well defined relatively large k bubbles conducive to mechanism ei'licient is between the upper edge of the base ion I in the extinguishing or? the lilo. in this lion and the lower edge of the dome. it is ure, l) desiga es, what is in the 1 mm, a well 'tound in practice that a subs-fantially uni- 1 known type of sprinkler head. l or bodies brella or canopy sha] ed delivery reults.

l l a tiny; 43, the lower end 0 which is Moreover, foam is more ellicicntly produced threaded and is adapted to norn'ially screw by pas. mg the foam 'l'orminz: solution w s T J V r u a 1 a lll0 L, LOllllGttlltll )1 O\ iUULl lll ilt) U1 Lllt tl\. 'ulllul l Hit (,llrtlllll'di M in l\ttl\ (E1 brill It;

e ale of the sprinkler system. The casting and befo o it is dischaS-ged on the m. 43 is moreover isually provided with a 1 reason tor this is that air in the ri-i seat, on which is adapted to seat disc haw becomes entrained in the soluti in and ingl a gasket and this disk is normally siatthe formation 0t bubbles containing lire ed by a pair of cooperating arms l, brought tinn'uishinngas.

into proper adjusted reladon by an adjust- The material is never broken up into mg screw 1-5 and maintained in this position hue spray as in ordinary sprinkler hca to hold the 'alvc sealed by a fusible link sit but the t re ex inguishing is carried in his When the link becomes tused, the arms the torn of relatively large bubbles in such .ly release the disk and allow the manner that it will be brought into direct sprinkler to operate. proximity with the tire and blanks; the

However, in the present invention l: intcrsame.

in pore between the sprinkle ant the later; ls it will he noted, particularlv from i lil) iii, a don'u-i-lil ce construction and eliminate ure 1, that each ot the laterals lil bout the scaling disk normally associated with the down slightly 21d; acent tl e stand pi pe. as at crsing L2 and seat said disk which is desig- 13. so that the inlet to each lateral i a t the rated in the drawings by the reference 1111- highest point thereof. 1 find this construc- 50 meral jl-'l .1l1)011tll( 'alve seat or" a fix ure 49, struction desirable in a wet pipe svstein, included in the laterals. The arms fi l in since it permits ot the maintaining o' z cab stead oi operating directly upon the disk ciuin chl ride non-Freezing solution in the 4:7, hold the disk 4? normally seated through lalcals at all times and it one latera an intermediate strut 50, which is prefercomes into operation in the event of a local ably substantially t angular or of other lire, a l the other laterals are not aulonuzi; polygonal cross section. So long as the fusically drained as in prior systems.

ible link is intact, the disk 4? will be main- Having thus fully described the invention. ained seated, but when the link di rupts the what I claim as new and desire to secure by arms ilwill fall away and the pressure Letters Patent is: i 69 within the laterals will force the disk 4;? 1. A lire sprinkl r system embodying: a

tree from its seat. The strut 50, however, closed container for an acid. a is preferably slightly tapered in an upward closed container for an alkaline toam direction, so that when the valve is forced ing solution, a pressure chamber comn off its seat with a rush, the strut 50 is shot rating, with the acid and ll. he

1! upwardly and its tapered edges wedged in forming solution chambers and adapted to contain materials for generating pressure, means for normally maintaining the materials separate from one another, a stand pipe or main, laterals associated therewith, automatic sprinkler heads associated with the laterals, branch pipes leading from the stand. pipe to the individual containers, and means controlled by the sprinkler heads for permitting the pressure-forming materials to come together, whereby pressure is generated and is connnunicated to the acid and foam forming containers, for the purpose of forcing the acid through its respective branch pipes to the main and the foam forming solution through its respective branch pipe to the main, said acid and foam forming solution being commingled with and mixed within the main pipe and discharged as foam from one or more sprinkler heads.

2. In a firesprinkler system, a stand pipe or main, laterals associated therewith, automatic sprinkler heads in said laterals, a diaphragm regulator associated with the stand pipe, a pressure chamber, a body of acid in the pressure chamber, a body of alkali also in the pressure chamber and normally maintained in suspended position above the acid by the diaphragm regulator associated with the stand pipe, sufiicient pressure being normally present in the stand pipe to maintain the diaphragm regulator in condition to support the body of alkali, until such time as one or more of the sprinkler heads is released whereupon. the alkali comes in contact with the acid and pressure is formed in the pressure chamber, in combination with a source of alkaline foam forming solution, and a source of acid, both oi which sources being in communication with the pressure chamber and also communicate with the stand ripe for the purpose of utilizing the pressure formed in the pressure chamber to force the alkaline solution and acid "from their sources into the stand pipe in which they are connningled and discharged from the sprinkler head or heads.

9 l fire sprinkler system, a source of r)- alkaline solution, a source of acid, a distributing pipe provided with an automatically operable valved. outlet, with which distributing pipe both of the sources are in communication, a pressure chamber, also communicating with said sources o't alkaline so lution and acid, a body of acid in the pressure chamber, a body of alkali in the pres sure chamber, and means for maintaining a predetermined pressure within the distributing pipe, and means controlled by an appreciable fall in such pressure due to the opening of the valved outlet of the distribut ing pipe, for eli ecting a reaction between the alkali and the acid in the pressure chamber, whereby the pressure resulting from such reaction is communicated to the source of acid and alkaline solution for the purpose of forcing the alkaline solution and acid into the delivery pipe where they are commingled and find exit from the valved outlet to form a foam.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

OSCAR J. HOLMES, 

